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Friday, August 1, 2014

The Dog Days of Summer - Mateya

Hello there! My name is Mateya and you can find me blogging at The Best is Yet to Come or more likely, on Instagram (@mateyab32). I'm a mama to Hayden and Baby #2 (who, at the time I'm writing this, has decided to put our patience to the test and come late. If not here by Wednesday the 23rd he/she will be evicted.) Thanks Sara for this fun topic! Can't wait to meet precious little Mim!

Growing up, I was never a dog person. My dad had hunting dogs (black labs) because he runs a pheasant hunting lodge. So these dogs were used for guiding hunters and weren't really "pets" to us. My husband on the other hand, grew up on a farm, so he always had a dog. When we got married he immediately wanted to get a dog and as much as I was indifferent about the decision I figured, if he really wanted one then why not. So we got a Golden Retriever and he even let me name her. I decided on Redick, after my favorite basketball player JJ Redick (I'm a huge Duke fan).

After having her around, I totally understood how people loved their pets and definitely became a "dog person." After we had Hayden I loved Redick even more because it was SO sweet watching those two interact. She was such a protector of him and he LOVED her so much. Definitely best friends.

Last summer while Robbie was deployed, Redick went missing. I truly think that she must have been sick and decided to go away to die peacefully. We searched and searched, neighbors helped us look, and nothing. The hardest part of it all was telling Robbie while he was gone. He took it really hard.

Over the last year we toyed around with the idea of getting another dog but the timing never seemed right. Well, a few weeks ago our daycare lady told us about a friend of hers who was looking to get rid of some puppies for free. Seeing how much Hayden loved her dog and knowing we wanted one eventually, we figured, why not?! The timing definitely wasn't perfect (hello...toddler plus new baby, plus new puppy?!) but we went for it anyway.

Lucy is a Lab/Springer Spaniel mix and Hayden loves her already. It's so fun watching them play together and it's especially fun listening to Hayden boss her around or tell her "Woocy, stop!" when she jumps on him. We're excited to have a dog around again and can't wait to watch Hayden and the new baby grow up with Lucy. I guess it's safe to say that I am definitely now a "dog person." :)